Inverness CT 2-0 Kilmarnock: Butcher's reborn Caley sink Killie to reach quarter finals

Inverness CT 2
(Mihadjuks 35; Rooney 89)

Kilmarnock 0

TERRY Butcher's transformation of Caley Thistle continued apace as the Highland club confidently sank Kilmarnock to reach the last eight of the Scottish Cup.

Goals from Pavels Mihadjuks and substitute Adam Rooney delivered a deserved first win of the Butcher era following the scoreless draw against Celtic.

Killie could point to a denied first-half penalty, but lacked an incisive threat in their bogey team's half.

Butcher, as he had hinted in the prelude, attempted to field the same side who stood up so impressively to Celtic six days earlier, but was stymied. An injury to Andrew Barrowman late in the week brought a first start for 19-year-old Eric Odhiambo, plucked from Leicester City's reserves last week.

A ploy from kick-off saw the home attackers mass on the left of the field, before slicing forward within seconds. Odhiambo volleyed into a Killie defender before Richie Foran fired over with barely 15 seconds on the clock.

With snow swirling through the sunshine, Caley Thistle steadily made the running, yet on several occasions the final pass eluded the mobile front pairing of Odhiambo and Dougie Imrie.

Having absorbed the early threat, Killie managed the first attempt on target after 21 minutes when Kevin Kyle headed a loose ball into Ryan Esson's arms.

There was a touch of comedy in Caley Thistle's best opening as referee Iain Brines seemed to muscle Craig Bryson off the ball. David Proctor was able to thread Imrie into the right side of the box but the home striker hooked his shot over.

One of the startling transformations of Butcher's short time in Inverness is with Lionel Djebi-Zadi. The colossal, muscular French full-back made only a fleeting, error-strewn appearance under Craig Brewster earlier in the season.

As he was against Celtic, though, Djebi-Zadi looked immense yesterday. After 32 minutes, he controlled and shimmied inside Willie Gibson and then released Foran with an inch-perfect diagonal pass.

A yellow ball made an entrance immediately after with the snow blowing in, and was soon nestling in the Killie net.

After 35 minutes, Ian Black's arcing free-kick from left of the 18-yard line picked out towering Latvian Pavels Mihadjuks for a bullet header past Alan Combe.

Mihadjuks mis-timed a tackle on David Fernandez with referee Brines initially seeming to point to the spot, before awarding a free-kick on the brim of the box.

In fairness, the white lines had been obscured by snow, but Killie nursed a major sense of grievance. Willie Gibson drilled the free-kick low into Esson's arms.

Killie had lost James Fowler to injury early in the match and were forced to remove David Fernandez at the break.

Stalemate ensued after half-time with the battle bringing a yellow card for David Proctor after a late lunge at Gavin Skelton.

There was harsher punishment for Kevin Kyle, in only his second game for Killie, as he took a straight red in 67 minutes for an elbow-swipe in Proctor's face.

Killie were only energised, though with Esson forced to dive to his left to stop a 20-yard Skelton strike.

With play stretching, Russell Duncan's lengthy strike was plucked from just under the bar by Combe.

With 10 minutes left, Ian Black hacked a Manuel Pasquale header off the line as Killie pressed.

It was all over bar the shouting in the final minute when a blocked Ross Tokely cross was swept across the box for Adam Rooney to slot his sixth of the season.